Headlines
China shuts Tibet border, Mansarovar pilgrimage hit
By
Anil Giri Kathmandu, June 1
Over 25,000 foreign tourists
planning to visit Kailash Mansarovar through Nepal were forced to
change their itinerary after the Chinese government shut down all border
points in Tibet citing the recent earthquakes in the Himalayan nation,
media reported on Monday.
Reports in the media here said the
Nepali tourism and civil aviation ministry has asked the foreign
ministry to raise the issue with the Chinese side.
However, the
Chinese side has not made any comment over the shutdown. These 25,000
foreigners booked their tours for Kailash Mansarovar through 38 tour and
travel companies in Nepal.
No tourist has, however, cancelled
bookings so far, the Karobar national daily on Monday cited Kailash Tour
Association chief Prakash Shrestha as saying.
Tourism
entrepreneurs have demanded that the tour should be allowed even by
opening the Hilsa point in Humla district. Shrestha says taking 25,000
foreigners to Kailash Mansarovar through Nepal will be a huge relief at a
time when the tourism sector has been hard-hit by the recent
earthquake.
The entrepreneurs have informed the culture, tourism
and civil aviation ministries in this regard but there has been no
breakthrough so far. "A total of 25,000 tourists are still ready to come
once we give them the time-table," an entrepreneur said.
China
has closed border points at Tatopani, Rasuwa and other places stating
that there can be landslides and it would be difficult to travel or
trek.
Shrestha said the entrepreneurs have urged the government
to take initiative to allow tourists to visit Kailash Mansarovar by
helicopter or on foot from Nepalgunj-Surkhet, the western part of Nepal
that was close to the Hindu pilgrimage site.
Indian, Russian,
Malaysian and other European tourists have booked fir the Kailash
Mansarovar tour. Around 80 percent of tourists going to this area are
Indians -- around 40,000 visit Kailash Mansarovar via Nepal every year.
The
May-July period is considered the main season to visit Kailash
Mansarovar. Nepali tourism entrepreneurs make all arrangements for
tourists to visit Kailash Mansarovar.
Around 80 percent of these
tourists remain in Nepal for 7-10 days while the remaining 20 percent
stay for 4-7 days. Tourists visiting Kailash Mansarovar spend the most
after those coming for mountaineering.
Entrepreneurs claim that
over 100,000 people will get employment if these 25,000 tourists were to
come to Nepal immediately. "The government must, therefore, facilitate
it," said an entrepreneur.
Tulasi Gautam, director general of
the tourism department, said initiative was being taken at the level of
the minister. "The road to Tatopani has already been opened. We are
trying to bring these 25,000 tourists to Nepal by any means," he said.
(Anil Giri can be contacted at [email protected])